So. The last 3 or so romances I read (and bought) had very promising starts. I bought them based on the strength of the preview chapter(s) and the summary. And I ended up severely disappointed. I'm getting to the point where I don't even want to buy books anymore because so many of them start great and just crash and burn after chapter 3 or 4 for me - false advertising in the summaries, TSTL FMCs, surprise insta-love, etc.

So beyond previews and summaries and without spoiling the book by reading reviews, what else do you do to try to ensure that you'll at least finish the book instead of half-reading or DNFing, especially if you buy it? I just hate spending more than $4 on a book I can't even get through! All suggestions or thoughts appreciated in advance.